At a Glance

Shawn represents corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies on matters including general corporate, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures, strategic alliances, public and private debt and equity investments, SEC work including registration, reporting and 1934 Act compliance, corporate governance and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.  She also has extensive experience counseling financial institutions in all aspects of bank regulatory and financial services law, new product development and corporate governance. Her expertise includes the development and implementation of regulatory compliance programs and she routinely represents financial institutions before federal and state regulatory agencies on compliance and enforcement matters. Shawn has substantial experience in bank holding company formations, de novo banks, purchases and dispositions of banks, savings and loans and their branches.

Practices/Industries
Business
Banking & Commercial Finance
Corporate Governance
Financial Services
Mergers & Acquisitions
Privacy, Data Protection & Information Security
Private Equity/Venture Capital
Regulatory Compliance
Sarbanes-Oxley

Financial Services
Financial Services Regulatory
Regulatory Compliance

Technology
Privacy, Data Protection & Information Security

Health Care
Compliance/Fraud & Abuse/Privacy

Areas of Concentration
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Corporate Law
  • Securities
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Banking & Commercial Finance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Compliance/Fraud & Abuse/Privacy
Education
Indiana University (B.A., 1980)

Cleveland State University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1986) Articles Editor, Cleveland State Law Review, 1986

Baldwin-Wallace College (M.B.A., 1997)
Representative Experience
  • Former general counsel for 14 subsidiaries and/or divisions at Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., including its national credit card bank subsidiary, Credit First National Association.
  • Substantial experience in acquisitions, consolidations, divestitures, joint ventures, technology licensing and dispositions, and de novo formation of a variety of corporate, partnership, limited liability companies, multi state bank, trust, holding company, non-bank subsidiary operations and non-bank organizations.
  • Routinely represents financial institutions in the negotiation, implementation, and oversight of compliance with state and federal regulatory enforcement actions.
  • Regularly represents financial institution officers and directors in regulatory enforcement actions and corporate governance matters.
  • Extensive experience in the development, implementation and maintenance of corporate governance policies and procedures, and regulatory compliance policies, procedures and programs, including Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-money Laundering, USA Patriot Act and OFAC requirements, privacy, foreign corrupt practices, information security and safeguarding, electronic commerce, affiliate transactions and consumer credit regulations (Reg Z, ECOA, FCRA).
  • Represents and advises businesses, financial institutions, money services businesses, retailers and others with new product development including funds transfers, electronic payments, payment processing systems, Internet sites, debit cards, gift cards and prepaid cards.
  • Regularly provides corporate governance training and strategic planning assistance for public and private companies, including financial institutions and their affiliates.
  • Routinely assists financial institutions and their affiliates with compliance audits and training before, during and after regulatory examinations.
Publications/Presentations
Frequent lecturer on regulatory, compliance and corporate governance matters for the banking and financial services industries.

Presentations
“Sarbanes Oxley as It Applies to Small Business,” The Ohio Society of CPAs (April 2008)

“Insider Trading and Rule 10b5-1 Plans in the Current Regulatory Environment,” CBA Securities Law Section (March 2008)

"Regulatory Update," Hot Topics: Financial Services Update 2007 (November 2007)

“Evolving Standards of Corporate Governance and Best Practices,” The Central Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (April 2006)

"Data Security Developments & Privacy and FACT Act Implementation," Hot Topics: Financial Services Update (May 2006)
Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association

Cleveland Bar Association (Member, Banking and Financial Services Section Vice Chair)

Credit Card Bank Compliance Association (Member, 1992-present; Board of Directors, 2000-present; President, 2000-2002; 2007-present)

Admissions
State of Ohio